The present disclosure generally relates to an electronic mobile device having a gasket for inhibiting debris ingress to a device housing.
Electronic mobile devices (e.g., cellular phones, pagers, global positioning system (GPS) navigation devices and other satellite navigation devices, smart phones, wireless organizers, wireless personal digital assistants (PDAs), and the like) typically comprise delicate components (e.g., displays, electronic circuits, and the like) that can easily be damaged during everyday use. For example, an electronic mobile device display can be damaged by impact forces transferred through the outer device housing when dropped. As another example, electronic circuits within the device can be rendered inoperable if debris (e.g., dust particles) enters the device through gaps between adjacent components.
For the above reasons, electronic mobile devices typically include one or more gaskets or seals between some adjacent components, such as the device housing and the display assembly. That is, these gaskets transfer impact forces to more rugged components (e.g., support frames within the device) and away from delicate components (e.g., display panels). In addition, the same or additional gaskets inhibit debris ingress that could damage electronic circuits.
Unfortunately, these gaskets, due to their tight positioning between adjacent components, typically make device assembly relatively difficult. For example, it can be difficult to press a display panel into a gasket that extends around the perimeter of the display panel because of the small clearances between the two components. If care is not taken during this step, the display panel could flatten part of the gasket instead of properly connecting to it, thereby partially rendering the gasket ineffective for inhibiting debris ingress. As another example, other methods for connecting a gasket to a display panel, such as co-molding, typically fail because of different material properties of the two components. In particular, display panels typically cannot tolerate the high temperatures used in co-molding operations. For these reasons, electronic mobile devices typically do not include a gasket that contacts a display panel, and debris may thereby enter and accumulate beneath the display panel.